GooTube's Next Step

GooTube's Next Step
10.24.06
Andy Stetzinger

So now what? We all know Google's handed over a bunch of stock for YouTube. YouTube hasn't shown a profit, and the only real clear business model is to sell the brand to the big media houses. (By the way, the only reason that works is because people want what they want now, they don't want to sift through the loads of crap on most big networks' websites).

Up until now, YouTube wasn't really concerned with copywrited content. They knew it was there... we all knew it was there... but with YouTube blowing through a million bucks a month in bandwidth and hardware costs, their pockets were empty. That, and their covered under the DMCA's "Safe Harbor" law. A safe harbor is a provision of a statute or a regulation that reduces or eliminates a party's liability under the law, on the condition that the party performed its actions in good faith. In other words, "We built the thing, not our fault people put copywrited stuff up there."

More importantly, YouTubes pockets were empty. Then Google filled them up.

First we saw the "user uprise"... the people who made YouTube what it is today wanting their claim of the money... And we're all sitting around waiting for the lawsuits to pop up.

They just recently dropped 29,549 japanese videos that were infringing on copywrite laws. Why? YouTube doesn't have an overseas office... they could fight any charges brought against them simply by playing the "not your jurisdiction" card. However, Google can't. Google has offices in Japan. GooTube can be sued in Japan for copywrite violations...

Now the public fully expects the floodgates to open and the lawsuits from Major Media Houses to come pouring in.

But will they? Wouldn't it be easier for GooTube just to make more deals with big Media Houses? We know why people go to YouTube. We all know the brand has built up, and what it means... a

The key thing here is the relationship Google can establish with the Media Houses. Get a good relationship going, share the content. Avoid the lawsuits, and we all go home happy... and YouTube can actually start looking towards making some money.

Not a bad deal.

~Andy
http://www.keything.com